Viktor Mykita: "Football during war has become a form of rehabilitation for defenders and a foundation for community development."
Dmytro Mykhailenko: "France is a worthy opponent with highly individual footballers playing at high intensity"
Ahead of tomorrow's EURO 2024 (U-19) semifinal match against France, the head coach of the Ukraine U-19 team, Dmytro Mykhailenko, spoke with the media.
"Everything is good, everyone is ready to play in the semifinal. Fortunately, there are no injuries in the team. There are some tired players, but no one is injured, which is a good sign.
As for the suspended players, it is tough that three players will miss the match, but we have good performers who will replace them. Everyone is ready to take responsibility, everyone is motivated and eager to play. We will decide on the starting lineup tomorrow.
France is a worthy opponent with highly individual footballers who play at high intensity. We need to be prepared for high speeds. It's important not to lose one-on-one duels. They may not have practiced combinations or patterns, but their attacks through the center are very effective due to the individual skills of their players. We need to be constantly ready to cover for our partner.
France has a powerful attacking group: strikers, and fast wingers. Their coaches rotate them. There seem to be no primary players as such — they are all of a high level. The guys play for 45–55 minutes, one replaces the other, so they are not tired. Very quality central midfielders — Benama, Atangana.
There are only a few hours between the semifinals. So if the first one goes into extra time, we might have to rush the Italians and Spaniards to finish quicker. However, I am confident that the pitch will be in good condition because it is a hybrid surface: 70% artificial fibers, and 30% grass. It recovers very quickly, and we will play on a quality pitch," noted Dmytro Mykhailenko.
EURO 2024 (U-19).
Group A: Northern Ireland, Norway, Italy, Ukraine.
15.07.2024
Italy — Norway — 2:1
Northern Ireland — Ukraine — 0:0
18.07.2024
Norway — Ukraine — 0:0
Northern Ireland — Italy — 0:3
21.07.2024
Norway — Northern Ireland — 2:0
Ukraine — Italy — 3:2
Group A standings
|
|
Team |
M |
W |
D |
L |
GD |
P |
|
1 |
Italy |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
7—4 |
6 |
|
2 |
Ukraine |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3—2 |
5 |
|
3 |
Norway |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3—2 |
4 |
|
4 |
Northern Ireland |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0—5 |
1 |
Group B: Spain, France, Turkiye, Denmark.
16.07.2024
Denmark — Spain — 1:2
France — Turkey — 2:1
19.07.2024
Denmark — France — 2:4
Turkiye — Spain — 1:1
22.07.2024
Turkiye — Denmark — 3:3
Spain — France — 2:2
Group B standings
|
|
Team |
M |
W |
D |
L |
GD |
P |
|
1 |
France |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
8—5 |
7 |
|
2 |
Spain |
3 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
5—4 |
5 |
|
3 |
Turkiye |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
5—6 |
2 |
|
4 |
Denmark |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
6—9 |
1 |
25.07.2024
Play-off match for the right to qualify for the 2025 U-20 World Cup
Norway — Turkey (18:30, Belfast)
Semi-finals
Italy — Spain (16:00, Belfast)
France — Ukraine (21:00, Belfast)
28.07.2024
Final
Winner 1 — Winner 2 (21:00, Belfast)
All match times are in Kyiv time.
